Real cop, reel cop

Thoongaa Vanam, a Tamil thriller starring Kamal Haasan and Trisha, is running in New Delhi's multiplexes. The film is about an undercover police officer out to nab a narcotics trafficking gang that has kidnapped his son. While the film itself is a bit of a drag, the few viewers who had come to watch it at a theatre in a south Delhi mall on Sunday, were pleasantly surprised to find real-life super cop K Vijay Kumar sitting among them. Kumar is a decorated Tamil Nadu cadre Indian Police Service officer famous for Operation Cocoon that ended with the death of notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan in 2004. His exploits have inspired several Tamil films and actors are known to consult him for tips while playing top police officials in movies.